Aaron Murphy, a senior at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, was named Speaker of the Year by the American Parliamentary Debate Association. He earned the designation as Speaker of the Year by being the highest-ranked parliamentary debater in the United States based on his top six performances ar debate tournaments held around the country over the course of the academic year.

Murphy will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He said that “I hope the fact that I’ve made it here at all will cause others to believe they can make it too – other people who were told they never could.”

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who is seeking the GOP Presidential nomination, is a past winner of the Speaker of the Year designation.

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Professional sports teams have discontinued playing Kate Smith’s version of “God Bless America” at games due to her recording of songs in the 1930s that contained racist lyrics. Which statement best reflects your view?

I agree that Smith’s version of “God Bless America” should not be played.

Smith’s recordings with racist lyrics should be considered in context of the times.

Abraham Lincoln made racist comments, should we ban the reciting of the Gettysburg Address?